Ready, Set, Create!!

Ruffled Zipper Pouch - Easy Peasy!

2011-07-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

I like to sew.

I'd like to be good at it.

I am most certainly a novice sewer.

In middle school sewing class when most people were making pj's and pillowcases, I decided to make a robe for my dad.

And make a robe I did.

It was bad.

One arm was longer than the other, the collar was crooked, and there were holes in weird places.

But my dad still wore it. :) He's great like that.

Well, Since 7th grade sewing I've tried to stick to easy projects.

The last few weeks I've started making these super cute, and super easy zipper pouches.

I love them because they are so fab, useful and can be whipped up in just a short time!

I like to add a little ruffle or something extra and cute to the front, and the matching printed lining just adds to the fab-ness of it all!

Not sure if I can pick a favorite...

I've made so many, and they are wonderful! They make great gifts, and they are perfect for keeping things neat and organized for traveling.

I think the small one would be perfect to give as a gift with a gift card tucked away inside.

I don't have a tutorial for you because, well, I can barely sew, let alone sew while taking pictures!

However, it is super easy and chances are, you don't need a tut... however, if you want one, here is a super great one, that explanines it better than I ever could! :)

I hope you give it a try...

Happy Sewing!

Crabby Patty Cookies!

2011-07-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've seen hamburger cookies around???

I've seen them around so many places that I don't even remember where I first saw them.

The first time I made them I wanted to make sure they really looked like hamburgers.

So, I asked my niece {whose 5} if she could tell what they are.

and she said {in a voice as if to day "duh! of course I do"}

"Crabby Patties!"

They were such a big hit the first time that my sister called me up a few weeks later asking for the recipe because her hubby was requesting them. {he he he!}

Funny right!?

And so, from day one until forever, they will be known as crabby patty cookies!

{That's right - Crabby Patties - like from Sponge Bob!}

The first time I made them I spent hours making tons of tiny {i mean seriously tiny} sugar cookies to be my "buns", but I have since come up with an infinitely better idea!

Here is what you will need to make them;

Vanilla Wafer cookies {these replace the sugar cookies that I originally made}

Some kind of chocolate covered cookies - Chocolate covered Oreos would work but I prefer Grasshoppers because they are cheaper and you get more for your $$

Icing - You will need red, yellow, and green - or you can just use white + food coloring. The icing is going to be your ketchup, mustard, and lettuce - and its gonna be awesome! :)

So... a crabby patty is made in a few easy steps.

I mean seriously easy!

1. Start with two vanilla wafers and one grasshopper.

2. Put a little icing on the bottom wafer {rounded side out} and "glue" your grasshopper cookie to the bottom wafer.

3. Start topping your"patty" with your different colored icing.

There really is no rhyme or reason to it, just make sure to put lots of icing near the edge of the cookie so that it oozes out once you put the top cookie on.

See how you only see a little of each color, but just enough!

We made a whole bunch!

I had lots of help from my little sister, even my teenage brothers helped! And they had fun! :)

Now just a little note - I wasn't exactly sure at first how they would be with the vanilla wafers as the bun since they are crunchy.

But the wafers soften up a bit because of the icing and they were perfect... SO much better than making sugar cookies!

But *beware!* these cookies are sweet! They are delish, but best when eaten one at a time! ;)

Fun, Girly Button Bracelet

2011-06-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed I've been a little MIA lately???
Sorry about that.
I haven't really been in the mood lately for crafting... no ideas flowing... I hope I'm not the only one who goes through this. :) But... I think my craftyness may be coming back {fingers crossed!}

One of my recent fun projects is a new button bracelet!
Have I mentioned how much I adore jewelry?

I have. Oh good.

I love anything fun and girly and this bracelet is totally both!

You only need a few things to make one of these;

chain

a handful of buttons

jump rings

clasp

jewelry pliers (or needle nose pliers)

Start out by putting a jump ring through one of your button holes as shown.

The size of the jump rings you use depends on the size of your buttons.

Attach the jump ring with the button on it to your chain.

Now repeat lots and lots of times!

To make sure your bracelet is nice and full and evenly buttoned, alternate which sides you put the buttons on as shown below.

Figure out how long you want the bracelet to be, and once you've put on enough buttons, add a clasp to one end and a final jump ring to the other.

Now show off your fun dangley bracelet !

I made one for my little sis, and she loved it!

Its such a fun, feminine bracelet, and the best thing is that you can make it to fit your own taste and style. . . big buttons, small buttons, funky shaped buttons, and any color you like!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my ideas and creations with you!

I'm grateful for you all!

No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies + Printable Recipe Card

2011-05-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ummmm. . . I love me some peanut butter cookies!

They are so yummy and they remind me of being a kid. :)

I've got a super good recipe for peanut butter cookies requiring no flour!
Lots of us are trying to reduce the amount of flour we eat these days, or gluten, or maybe you just want one less ingredient in your recipe.
Whatever the case may be, these are the cookies for you my friends!

Don't those look good?! They taste good too!

Here is everything you'll need to make them.

Mix ingredients together in order shown. (recipe below)

Scoop onto cookie sheet and give them their famous peanut butter cookie sugary criss-cross

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes - until they are just slightly brown - and there you have your cookies!

And if you like them you can print out my little recipe card. Maybe even put it in your new recipe book. **wink, wink!**

From Photo Album to Fab Recipe Book!!

2011-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have piles of recipes, recipes sticking out of every recipe book, recipes crammed in kitchen drawers???

Well, I don't anymore!

I made a recipe book from . . . a photo album!

Brilliant, and absolutely perfect!

Plenty of room for all my recipes, i can add and remove recipes whenever I like, and since they are in the little plastic sleeves they stay clean, even when spill and drip everywhere!

It is super easy and customizable.

*Fabulous!*

So here is what I used;

photo album

dividers

hole punch

recipe cards/printouts

The bulk of the work was already done for me because I started with a photo album.

Here is what the finished project looks like.

First step, cut the dividers the same size as the photo album pages. Make sure to keep the side with the tabs on it.

Cut as many as you need and hole punch in the appropriate places.

Add your category titles in your tabs.

Its perfect because you can add whatever categories you use most.

All thats left is to insert all your favorite recipes.

The photo album is great because the photo openings are just the right size for your recipe cards.

I had all my recipes typed up on the computer and just printed them out in 4x6 format and voila!

They fit like a charm!

Ahhh, look at those super organized recipes!

All that was left was to add a little title to the front of my new recipe book.

Go ahead, Make one!

Lets make Calzones! + a recipe

2011-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

We all love home made pizza! Every now and then Hubby and I love a Friday night pizza party!
But pizza is a pretty common thing.
We like to change it up sometimes and instead of pizza, we make calzones!

Yummmmm.

How much would your kids each love to make their own individual calzone!?

You can use whatever pizza crust you'd like, but here is my recipe which is super good - better than any pizza place I've ever been to thats for sure!

1 ½ C. warm water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 C. flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese
1 T. Italian seasoning
2 ½ tst. active dry yeast

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. If too dry add a little water at a time. Mix well and let rise for about an hour.

Now kneed again and you’re ready to make your calzones! (or pizza, but in this case, calzones)

Ok, so one batch will make four big calzones, or six regular sized.
So separate out your dough and roll it out pretty thin, about a quarter of an inch.
(Make sure your surface is good and floured.)
Now add your toppings.

Yummy cheese, olives, pretty much whatever you like.
You can even add anchoves if your like my hubby. *ewww!*

But the great thing about calzones is that everyone gets their own, so I don't even have to deal with the fishy-ness. :)
Important note - Make sure you don't put sauce into your calzone.
Sauce in your calzone = big mess.

Now you fold over the top of your dough and kinda roll/pinch the edges together to make sure they are nice and closed.

Now put them on a baking sheet and bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes-ish.
**Baking time will depend on the size of your calzones and the thickness of your dough.**
You'll want to keep a close eye on them and take them out when they start to get slightly brown.

Once they are done, serve with some marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping and enjoy!

Y-U-M! Let me tell you, it was goooood!

So go ahead and give it a try. . . or just save it for a rainy day.

You are my sunshine printable

2011-04-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Remember me?

☺

It's been a while.

But I've got a little something for you today.

A very Springy/Summery printable!

This song has a special place in my heart.

I remember it being sung lots when I was a kid, and my hubby likes to sing it to me now.

*blush*

And we all can use a bit more sunshine in out lives.

Not to mention my love of all things yellow!

So enjoy this printable. . . I hope you can find a use for it!

A "Joy Jar" for my love

2011-03-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

So I a while back I asked for ideas for an anniversary gift for my hubs.

I got many super great suggestions. . . some I'd already done, some I'm saving away in my memory bank for later and one that I thought sounded perfect for this year.

A wonderful reader, Nancy, gave me the fab idea to make my honey a

Joy Jar!

I started by typing up lots of different moments of joy we have shared over the years - fun memories, favorite moments, things like that.

{This was really fun to do. . . thinking back over all the things we've done together!}

Once they were all typed up and printed out, cut them into strips so that each strip has one moment of joy on it.

{I think I had about 70-ish}

Next I took each strip and curled it around a pen.

You could just as well fold them up, but I liked the fun look of them being curled.

Next Step - stick all your curled {or folded} strips of paper into a jar.

Now, decorate up your jar to your hearts content.

I didn't do a whole lot as I wanted it to remain somewhat "manly".

Last step, I added a little note.

And that's that.

An easy gift that turned out to be very meaningful!

My hubby really enjoyed reading all the different "Joys".

He pulled out a few every day and was always excited to see what the next one would be.

I plan to refill his "Joy Jar" often as I think of more moments of joy!

This is a wonderful craft that could be given to pretty much anyone. . . a parent, or friend, anyone you cherish and want to remind of all the good times. :)

Thanks Nancy for the fabulous idea!

Ummm. . . Tomato Basil Bread Recipe

2011-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves soft, warm homemade bread, no doubt about that!

Rather than your regular every day bread, how about trying some Tomato Basil bread! Umm!

It looks so pretty not to mention how delish it is!

Just start with your fav basic white bread recipe.

If you don't have one you can use mine!

3oz warm water

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

3oz warm milk

1Tbsp. melted butter

2Tbsp. sugar

1tsp. salt

2C white bread flour

Now here is the special ingredient. . . 1/4 C of sundried tomato pesto!
{or more if you want it really tomatoey }

If you cant find any sundried tomato pesto {I got it at Walmart} then here is plan b - just throw some regular pesto and some sundried tomatoes in the blender. . . or plan c - sundried tomatoes, basil, olive oil and maybe a little salt into a blender.

Add your sundried tomato pesto into your bread and kneed well. Let it rise til about double its size then kneed again and form into a cute little bread ball, or stick it into a loaf pan.

Let it rise again til about double its size.

Once its sufficiently risen, bake at 350 til the crust is lightly brown.

Ummm. . . smells good right?!

Now slice that baby up and your fam will be so impressed by your fancy, gourmet bread!

Its so pretty and tinted slightly red, with a little piece of tomato scattered here and there.

Very yummy, a total pleaser for the crowd as well your taste buds!

{PS - this recipe makes a one pound loaf}

Lucky You. . . to have a wife like me!

2011-03-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

One last St. Patty's day idea for the Irish and non-Irish alike!

A little treat for your sweetheart to let him know how LUCKY he is!

Some treats that are green and gold . . . his little treasure - just because he has the best wife!

And a little printable from moi to you so you can make sure to get your point across along with the treats. *wink* Every hubby can use a reminder as to how lucky he is! :)

Happy day o'luck!

And Yes. . . our hubs really are lucky to have such a great wives!

PS - I made the cute printable from free downloads from one of my fav digital scrap-booking sites Just So Scrappy

"Lucky Charm" printable

2011-03-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

Another little fun way to celebrate don't-pinch-me-cuz-I'm-wearing-green day.

Leave a fun breakfast out for them!

I don't know about you but Lucky Charms isn't a cereal we eat all the time. . .

So one box with a bow and a note to let your loved ones know how you feel is all you need!

So easy, especially since I've made this colorful printable and all you've got to do is print!

Enjoy!!

Night IN at the Movies

2011-03-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

How about a great date night idea that is super fun and wont break the bank. . . Awesome!

A cozy night IN at the movies!

It starts with a Redbox movie {or Netflix or whatever you prefer}

then it requires moving the couch right in front of the TV - this all depends on how big you want the screen. :)

Last step, pop some popcorn, and gather your snacks and sodas!

We moved out couch about 5 feet from the TV with our coffee table in front so we had a place to rest our feet.

It was like being at the movies only better!

No movie theater seats are as comfy as your couch I don't care where you go!

And no annoying people talking or kicking your seat either! :)

Can you tell what movie we watched???

Megamind!

and Loved it!

Kids would love this too. . . So pull up the couch and make a night of it!

Guest Blogger - Ea from Finding Bliss...

2011-03-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday my friends! I hope your weekend was just as fab as mine! To start off the week I have some creative inspiration from Ea of Finding Bliss... Stop by her blog to learn a little bit about her, and keep reading, I promise you wont be disappointed ;)

With all of the electronic gadgets in our home I needed one central station to keep things organized ….so I created our “charging station” out of baskets from the local thrift shop. It’s been with us for a while now… at first we used it to hold my phone, and my kids’ calculators and handheld games…but now that they are teens it holds ipods, phones, and cameras….and still the calculator!

Here is how I made it:

Find a top basket~ Figure out what objects you would like to store and then find a basket that will accommodate them with a bit of wiggle room ~ you’ll need this when you place your electronics in and attach the power cords.

Find a bottom basket~ this is the basket that will hold your power strip and all of your charging cords. To ensure that everything will fit, plug all of your cords into a power strip before you get the basket to get a visual of the dimensions you will be needing.

Also the top basket will need to “sit on” or be able to “hold” your top basket. When shoved in, the bottom of my top basket fits so snugly that I don’t need anything else to hold it up. Yours may need small supports… or another box within the box to hold it up.

In the bottom box, snip some of the wicker and gently guide the hole open a bit more than it wants to go and shove just the end of the power strip through the hole (the plug section).

Plug in all of your power cords and wind up the majority of the cording ~ don’t tie it securely; you’ll need some leeway as you pull it through in the top.

Arrange your electronics in the top basket to get an idea of where the charger sections for each need to come out. Remove them and then snip small sections of the wicker and run the ends through just like you did in the bottom basket.

It is pretty flexible so you shouldn’t need to cut much. Tip: just snip a small amount first, then see if your cord will go through, if not you can snip a little more and try it again...

Holding the top basket above as I’m snipping and running the cords up~ having a bit of leeway with the cords makes it easier when you go to attach the devices later.

Finished the cords, now shove the top into the bottom~ or attach with your preferred method.

Place your electronics in the basket and your done!....
Even my kids’ friends plug their phones and ipods in to charge when they stay over!

Super cute. . . Love how it turned out! I'm gonna be on the look out for the perfect baskets now! Thanks again Ea for sharing your project with us!

St. Patrick's Day art and Thank You!

2011-03-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not the biggest St. Patties day fan, but I'm a sucker for holidays. {*blush*}

I made a simple yet festive little something to go in the frame on my entry way table.

Ah, look how festive my little shamrock "art" is!

This little baby only took me a minute to do!

I started with a piece of scrapbook paper and cut out three clovers.

I put a cute black and white piece of paper in my frame and then I stuck the clovers on top of the frame with a little glue dot in the center.

Don't worry, the glue dot will come off.

Then to add a little dimension i folded up the petals? leaves?

And there you have it!

By the way - a HUGE thank you to all of you who emailed and commented and gave me anniversary ideas! You guys are awesome and I'm excited to have some new great ideas!

Yellow {clearance} home decor touches!

2011-02-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well Spring may be a ways off still. . . but I'm totally ready for it, and cant wait!

Everything outside is still snow covered and cold, but inside is a different story. . . I'm preparing for spring, like it or not! :)

My first step was these darling yellow place mats with awesome yellow napkin rings to adorn my dining room table.

{along with beautiful roses from the hubs}

The napkin rings I got last year at the thrift store and the place mats I got a few weeks ago on clearance at Target!

I love clearance and I love yellow, so these were screaming my name! Literally. The hubs thought I was crazy when I picked them up and said I just had to have them! He's a good sport.

I realize I must have a bit of a problem when I got home and thought to my self that I should go back and buy ALL the yellow place mats, just in case I could make something out of them.

Don't worry, I didn't go back and buy them out. {yay for me!}

Since bringing some yellow into the house, I feel all springy inside and as much as I enjoy Winter, I'm ready for my favorite season!

I see more spring, and lots more yellow in my and your near future! :)

I'll get by with a little help from my friends - that means you! :)

2011-02-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I are about to celebrate our 4th anniversary.

{Awwwwww. . . .}

I know, exciting right?!

But I am at a complete loss as to what to give/do for him!

One year I made him a scrapbook, so thats out.

I've made him photo books, Mix cd's, coupon books etc.

I'm starting to feel like this. . .

So I thought, "there are so many brilliant and talented women out there that I'm bound to get some totally fab ideas if but ask for help!"

So HELP!!

If anybody has done anything for their man that was a total hit or has any ideas you'd like to share with little ol' me. . . I'd LOVE it!

☺

Hoping I wont go crazy,

A gift for someone HOT in your life!

2011-02-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

I want to share with you what I did for my hubby this year for V-day.

Something simple, inexpensive, thoughtful, cute and something he'll totally love. . .

Snacks!

I made him a basket of HOT snacks and goodies.

My theme was obviously to let him know how hot I think he is! Cute right?!

I included in the basket many of his favorite snacks, all spicy or HOT!

Hot Tamales, salsa, flaming hot cheetos and munchies, hot cocoa packets, spicy V-8 juice, red hots, etc.

I also made a few little cards {complete with images of flames} to let him know how HOT he is!

Though I used this as a Valentines day gift, this would be perfect for any occasion. . . birthday, anniversary, or a just because gift.

What man doesn't love his snacks. ☺

I hope some of you can get some use out of this. . . We're all looking for new ideas!

Guest Blogger - Julie from Singing Three Little Birds

2011-02-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you are enjoying all my guest bloggers as much as I am.

Its so great to get new ideas and learn about some new blogs!

And a big thanks to all of my guest bloggers. . . you all are great!

Now onto our guest for today - lets show her a big Ready-Set-Create welcome!

Hello and thanks for having me here today!

My name is Julie and I write a little blog called Singing Three Little Birds. When I'm not blogging about my crafts and kids, creating new items for my etsy shop or chasing my kiddos around, I work full-time as a children's librarian. I am a pretty busy mom!

This month I challenged myself to create a new rose everyday. Being a really busy mom and all, I haven't come close to creating one everyday but it has been fun trying. I have been using different materials that I haven't tried before.

Here are a few favorites.

White lace

Denim

Double ruffle ribbon

A zipper!

Have you challenged yourself recently? I'd love for you to stop by and tell me about it.

I also have a weekly linky party called Inspire Me Mondays.

Come link up your projects and show me some inspiration.

Thanks so much for having me here today! I hope you'll stop by soon.

Julie @ Singing Three Little Birds

Guest Blogger - Karen from Pocket Full of Pink

2011-02-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

Hey! This is Karen from Pocket Full of Pink and I am so excited to be a guest post on Ready-Set-Create! Thanks Aleesha!

First let me introduce myself. My name is Karen and I am 40 something:) I still feel like I am about 20 though! It's hard to believe I have 3 kids, 16 (almost 17yr. old daughter), 14 yr. old son, and a 9 yr old daughter. They are very busy and SUPER good kids. I can't help but brag about them. I am such a proud mom!

Right now I am going back to school at a community college to finish up my associates degree, then on to a 4 year college in 2012. I just started in September after staying home with the kiddos for about 16 yrs! I am having a blast. I highly recommend it:)

Now, enough about me and my B-O-R-I-N-G life! On to a fun craft. Today I am going to show you how to make an adorable Dog tag necklace with scrapbook paper!

Here is what you will need:
-Dog tag (purchased HERE)
-Mod Podge
-a piece of pretty patterned scrapbook paper
-craft knife
-self-healing cutting surface
-glue gun
-paper flower or whatever you want to embellish your necklace with!
-emery board
-ribbon or ball chain

Here we go! First put your dog tag down on the wrong side of the scrapbook paper and trace around it like this:

Next, cut it out with the craft knife, being careful not to rip the paper.
Then, slap some mod podge all over the wrong side of the paper and glue that baby on the dog tag, matching up edges. Let it dry for about 1/2 hour. Then add a letter sticker for whoever you are making it for. Add some more mod podge on the top of the paper once you have attached the paper to the dog tag.


OOOh, love that nice blue mat! Yes, it has been well used.

Let the mod podge dry for at least 1-2 hours. Then using an emery board, sand gently around the edges, making sure you are working down, so not to lift the paper off the dog tag.

Next add embellishments! I added a paper flower with a pink round pearl in the center.OOPSEY!! I couldn't tell where the glue was going. It's hard to take picture's while you are crafting:) You get the idea, right?

Here is the finished necklace! I used a pink ball chain that I purchased HERE

Here's another one I made.

Thanks Aleesha for having me here!

Stop by my blog Pocket Full of Pink anytime for Giveaways, tutorials, or recipes, or the latest crafts I am working on!

Guest Blogger - Megan from The Bug Creator

2011-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a fun, fab Valentines Day that was full of love!

I'm super excited to have another guest blogger today. . . Make sure you stop by her blog and spread the love!

Hello there ready set create fans!

I am so excited that Aleesha is letting me guest post here today.

I guess the polite thing to do would be to introduce myself... My name is Megan. I am 24 years young and a single mommy to a wonderful little boy that just turned 1 year old! I am also the writer for The Bug Creator blog.

Being a single parent is not easy, and sometimes I get overwhelmed having this tiny person depend on me and only me 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. . But when it comes to planning a party I shine! So when my son's (bug) first birthday started getting close (okay maybe it was 4 months ahead of time) I started planning how to do the party the cheapest way possible, to accommodate my budget, while not compromising the greatness of the party.

I did a entire 1st birthday party for 48 people (38 were able to come) in well under $100!

So how'd I do it? Easy!

-Made the cake myself ($22.76)

- Made all the decorations in photoshop & printed on cardstock I already had ($0)

-Purchased the invitations using codes for % off and free codes on Shutterfly.com ($.85)

-Did 16 goodie bags by going to the dollar tree, and clearance sections of wal-mart.($12.54)

The most expensive part of the whole thing was food which ended up costing around $52.00 for 38 people and we had some left!

Total party cost: $88.15

for a party for 38 people... (we planned for 48 though)

Think that is impressive? I did my entire ~~mistake~~ wedding for $600 and it was amazing!

(that included my dress & food)

Want to see photos? I know you do!

(All photos were taken by an amazing photographer Jebbica @ Photos By Jebbica the ones that do not have her copyright were originals I edited ,graciously given to me because we forgot to grab snap shots with other cameras on the party...oops... lesson learned!)

16 little gift bags for our tiny guests...

In the bags-

bouncy balls, plastic bug, candy hearts, gummy works that we put in clear plastic bags left over from another party.

Meat and cheese tray for food along with a fruit tray and some chips.

Cake:

4- 9inch double layer cakes

dyed icing with gel color

Foam board to set it upon

I used a fork to "stab" the icing to make it a fuzzy caterpillar!

Dirt bowl- Crushed chocolate teddy grahams & gummy works thrown in...Big hit with the kids!

Banner- 8x10 cardstock made in photoshop using simple shapes and text

(thrifty wrapping with brown paper by my friend Emily)

(we had streamers from the dollar store going from our chandelier to each corner of the window and the banner on the window is made of cardstock )

Birthday boy

We even set up a tent tunnel for the kids to play in! Bug obviously thought it would be great to push my nephew through it.

The cake was Bug Approved!

Awesome right?

Don't forget to come visit me for tutorials, crafts, life, and more over @ The Bug Creator or on facebook

Thanks Aleesha for having me over!

Cuuute Heart Owl Valentines!

2011-02-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

Aren't owls just so cute right now?

So I made some fun owl valentines!

Look at this cute little owl. . . Made of hearts. . . a heart body and two little heart feet!

Candy for V-day is all great and good, but you gotta have a little card to share a little love right?

A clever little owl statement on each card completes it!

I think they are super cuuuute, and totally my style!

If they are your style too, go ahead and use 'em!

I printed eight cards to a sheet and they are the perfect size.

I hope you enjoy these. . . If you wanna share them, "Owl" really appreciate it! :)

Guest Blogger - Crystal from Crystal's Craft Spot

2011-02-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be here today.
I am Crystal from Crystal's Craft Spot. Its my little spot to share my current craft projects, tutorials, recipes, and ideas I want to use in the future. I just started a monthly craft challenge (first link up today!), an online craft club, and Feature yourself Friday that I would love for you to join. I try to post something new almost everyday and I enjoy a variety of crafts. It is my way to relax and take a break from a busy day.

Here are a few of my favorite projects

Family Motto

fabric high chair

Sweet Baby Plates

Today I have a cute and quick craft for Valentine's day or any day.

The Valentine's Headband

and here's my little cutie pie wearing her new headband.

Start by cutting out 3 hearts from felt. I stitched around the red for a fun look. Hot glue the three together and glue on the buttons.

grab a plastic headband

add a bit of hot glue to one end and start wrapping the entire headband with yarn. You can add glue do different parts of the headband to keep it secure.

A close up of the end.

It should look like this once you're done.

glue the hearts on your headband and you're done! So cute for your little one or even for yourself.

Come by my blog any time for more fun ideas. Thanks for having me today!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes for V-Day!

2011-02-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

I made some V-day treats last weekend that were way easy, cute and gooood!

Strawberry cupcakes topped with chocolate covered strawberries.

What is it about chocolate covered strawberries and Valentines day?

No complaints from me. . .

I love these little bites or juicy, chocolaty goodness

So for these yummy treats I started by dipping my strawberries, and making some cupcakes.

I went with strawberry cupcakes cuz, helloooo, they are pink, and strawberry. . . perfect!

I frosted some with chocolate, some with strawberry and some with both chocolate and strawberry frosting.

{They taste pretty dang good no matter what I frosted them with!}

Once they were good and frosted I topped each one with a chocolate covered strawberry and drizzled some melted chocolate on the top.

I say, you can never have too much chocolate right?!

They were really good and lets face it, we all love a festive treat!

Such a cute way to dress up a simple cupcake and make it your own!

Valentines "Mix Tape" {with cute printable}

2011-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

I love holidays. . . I love an excuse to celebrate!

Valentines day is a holiday when we try to do a little something special for each other but don't spend too much money.

So, while trying to come up with something sweet for my valentine I had a great idea. . .

I'll make him a mix tape!

What???

Those aren't "the thing" any more?

Yes, you're right.

But here is my updated version of a mix tape!

A cd full of love songs that I took the time to compile just for my sweetheart, with this super cute graphic to complete the Mix Tape feel!

Here is a list of some of the songs I'll be including on my own "mix tape". I'll also be adding a few songs with more personal meaning

L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole

Your Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Become - Goo Goo Dolls

That's Amore - Dean Martin

Open Arms - Journey

Everything - Stereo Fuse

I'll Be - Edwin McCain

I'll Make Love to You - Boys II Men

Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan

Name - Goo Goo Dolls

When You Say Nothing at All - Alison Krauss

Faithfully - Journey

My Best Friend - Tim McGraw

Sway - Dean Martin

So go ahead and make your own valentines mix tape. It'll make perfect dinner music, maybe your sweetheart will even give you a spin you around the dance kitchen floor.

Please feel free to use my super cute graphic if you feel so inclined, Just let people know where you got it!

☺

Valentines Day Alpha Printables

2011-01-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

I like Valentines day. . . but I hate spending money for it!

I just feel like, I really don't need to buy the things the stores tell me to, just to show people I love them.

I like to do that in my own {super frugal} way. :)

I've got a few super cute V-day ideas up my sleeve for ya, but today I'm gonna share with you the alpha printables I made to put in my printables frame.

I love the alpha art because of the simplicity of it, and I love the black, white and red too.

Here is another one where I kept the letters in order. This one might be my favorite.

I haven't tried yet, but I think these would be cute printed smaller and given out as valentines cards.

So go ahead and print them, and if you use them I'd love to know what you think!

Calling all bloggers/crafters!

2011-01-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

That's right. . . I mean Y.O.U!

I am looking for anyone who would be interested in guest posting on this here blog of mine.

We all know that life gets in the way sometimes and lately I'm not able to craft as much as I'd like. :(

But my poor neglected followers still need some good readin!

So if you have a blog, or even if you dont but would like to guest post, I'd love for you to e-mail me!

You don't have to share a craft, you can share a recipe, or some home decor, or some tips on mommy-hood, or anything!

Happy Tuesday to all and I'm off to go visit my brand new nephew!!

O-So-Yummy Steak Bistro Salad Recipe

2011-01-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hey there everybody!

I know I've been kinda mia lately, sorry about that. . . sometimes life gets in the way and crafting/blogging just has to take a back seat.

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes for the most delicious salad you will ever eat!

Its really similar to the Steak Bistro salad that Panera Bread used to have.

Well, they don't serve it any more so we had to start making it ourselves and O. M. Goodness is it ever tasty!

Not to mention that we're all trying to eat a little healthier since making our new years resolutions!

Here is what you'll need to make your own steak bistro salad:

A plate full of mixed field greens

Gorgonzola cheese - a healthy sprinkling

balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

a handful of nuts - I love this with pecans but walnuts would be good to

grilled steak - about 2-3 oz would be perfect for one person

Season and grill up your steak, then slice it nice and thin. Then pile all the goodies on your plate full of greens and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

The greens and the cheese are a little bitter with a good bite to them, but the nuts, steak and vinaigrette sweeten it up just a bit. Ummm!

I promise you will not be disappointed!

Go ahead and try it. . . you know you want to! ;)

Printable Thank You Cards

2011-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

First things first,
Happy New Year to all of my fabulous readers, followers and friends!

I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations were grand!

I haven't really got back into the swing of crafting and creating yet.
Anyone else find it hard to get back to sometimes??
But I did make some cute printable little Thank you cards as my way of saying thanks to all of you!
I made two different cards. . .
Some super cute gray and white ones {I am loving gray right now!}

And some fun rainbow cards!
Just print them on a piece of white card stock, cut in between the two cards, and fold!
Please feel free to print them and use them to write your after Christmas thank you-s!

HELP my smart, savy fellow bloggers!

2011-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so as I was trying to upload pictures to post about Christmas and all that jazz, I got some lame message saying. . .

"Whoops! You're out of space. You are using 100% of your 1 GB quota for photos. Purchase more storage
Photos are stored in your Picasa Web Albums account and are included in your 1 GB free quota for photos. Additional storage you purchase is shared between Gmail, Picasa Web Albums, and Google Docs, and is in addition to your free quota."

Has anyone run into this????

Is there anyway around this or do I have to pay?

Its only $5 a year, but seriously blogger. . . It really irks me. Here all this time you say Free and then Whoops! Not free anymore!

Anyone have any suggestions???

More fun, posts to come soon. . . hopefully.

Botched Caramel to Scrumptious Caramel Cups!

2010-12-21T14:24:00.000-08:00

One more yummy treat before Christmas.

There really is no bad time to post something for your taste buds am I right!?

For one of my to-pass-out-Christmas-treats I wanted to make caramel.

I made some a year or so ago. It was good but turned out too soft. Then I tried a few months later and it was break your teeth caramel. This time I tried using a candy thermometer. . . apparently a faulty thermometer.

My caramel tastes super good, but is once again spoon caramel.

The last thing I need sitting around my house is a whole bucket of caramel, so I just had to figure out a way to still give it as a treat!

Presenting my chocolate caramel cups!

Here's a super quick rundown of what I did.

I started with mini muffin papers in my mini muffin tin.I filled each one about half full of melted chocolate.

Next I took my spoon caramel and took about a teaspoon and rolled it into a ball and pressed it lightly into a chocolate filled cup.

A little drizzle of chocolate on top to make sure all the caramel is covered, then let them cool.

As you can see I made some white chocolate and some milk chocolate.

And let me tell you, they are de-licious!

The caramel is the perfect consistency, and it the whole thing just melts in my mouth!

So, I still ended up eating way too much yumminess, but at least I can still give most of it away.

So, go ahead and drool, and I'll eat one for you. {Your welcome!}

A perfect solution to a whole batch of botched caramel. . . Phew!

Oh, and a very

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

to you all!

I'm so thankful for all of you and hope your holidays are wonderful!

Melting Snowman Cookies

2010-12-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a super cute and fun Christmas/Winter treat.

Super yummy, almost too cute to eat, melting snowman cookies!

These cookies would make great Christmas treats, but they would also be fun to make any time through out the winter season.

Here is how I made them.

I started with sugar cookies. . . just plain ol' round sugar cookies. While they were baking I started making my snowman's noses.

I used regular melting chocolate. I just used white and added a drop of yellow and red food coloring to turn it orange.

I used a piping bag and onto wax paper I piped tiny little orange peaks.

Now put them in the fridge.

I made a ton of them and then chose the best looking ones to use.

Next start on your heads.

If you can find some round white candy, I seriously suggest you use them!

White whoppers would be perfect, but I couldn't find any so I used regular whoppers dipped in white chocolate.

While the chocolate was still wet I put on the hardened noses.

Once the cookies are cool its time to frost!

Any white frosting would work for this, but I used thinned royal icing because I love the way it looks.

Pipe the icing on the cookies in an uneven squiggly way so that it resembles a puddle of melting snowman.

It can even run off the cookie. I think it adds to the look of it.

before the icing hardens don't forget to put on your heads.

Once the icing dries its time to add the little extras.

I used chocolate for the arms and buttons. Just melt it and pipe it on. Easy Peasy.

For the face I used black gel that I got from the icing section at the grocery store, but melted chocolate would work too.

Get as creative as you want with this part.

Some of my snowman are a little surprised to be melting, like the cute little guy above.

Some of them are happy, cuz they know its just a part of life.

And some of them are just content to be, like this little guy here.

{I think he might be my favorite}

I think my family will enjoy these little guys!

Super cute right!?

And a little spin on your traditional sugar Christmas cookies.

Happy Christmas baking!

Today I Will Be. . .

2010-12-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

. . . enjoying the Christmasy view from my living room window while sipping some blueberry tea.

Listening to some Holly Jolly music while I finish wrapping all my Christmas presents!

And if I feel like it, I just may finish up my Christmas treats.

I'm glad I could send so many of you personalized Clean Hands images!

Anyone else who wants one, you've still got time.

I'll be back tomorrow with something more crafty for you.

But for today, take some time to slow down and enjoy the season!

Clean Hands Gift Idea

2010-12-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

You may or may not have seen these before.

My aunt gave one to my mom a few years back and since then I've seen different versions around.

{I'm pretty sure these are a wide spread Relief Society craft}
Anyway. . . I decided to make my own this year!

Cute, inexpensive and totally personalized! A perfect gift in my opinion!

All you need are some bottles of soap with all labels removed and this cute Clean Hands dealy-o printed onto a transparency.

Do you remember transparencies? Back in school before all the new-fangled fancy smart boards and everything, the teachers used the projector and clear plastic transparencies.

You can get these printed at most print shops.

{However I did try our small town shop and when I asked the girl if they made transparencies she looked at me like I was speaking a different language.}

But Kinkos did it no prob.

I printed 4 to a sheet, for $.80 total. . . awesome!

All you do is cut them to size, kinda roll them up so they fit in the bottle, then straighten out with your fingers or the long pump stick thingy.

Add a little ribbon if you want and there is a super cute gift!

These would be perfect for family, neighbors, even a teacher for their classroom!

So please feel free to use my image and save it and print it to make your own!

Since I love all of my dear followers, if you would like one personalized with a family name like mine, email me the name(s) and I'll send them over too you in .jpg format.

This is a limited time offer. . . Once it gets closer to Christmas and I get super busy, Y'all are on your own. . . But I of course still love ya!

12 Days of Christmas for the One you Love!

2010-12-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas traditions!

There are so many different, fun things that we do only around this time of year that makes it special.

One tradition that many people do is some variation of the 12 days of Christmas.

Growing up my family used to give 12 days of surprise gifts to friends or neighbors.

It was lots of fun and a great way to serve and think of others.

This year I've got a little something else planned.

{Hubby if you happen to be reading this, STOP RIGHT NOW!}

If your not my hubby, proceed to the next paragraph.

Yes, I'm going to do the 12 days of Christmas for my sweet husband!

He is so special and I just wanted to do a little something extra for him.

I did it pretty simply, no gifts to wrap, just an envelope for each day.

Inside each envelope is a cute card that has something written on it. Some days are fun activities for us to do together {like watch a movie, build a snowman, or go out to dinner} Some days are nice things I will do for him {hot oil massage, make his favorite treat} and some days are complements and things I love about him!

{I did about 4 card of each; activities, acts of service and kind words but you could do whatever you want.}

Aren't these cards the cutest things ever?!

I wish I could say that I made them, but I did not.

I downloaded them from Just So Scrappy. She sells digital scrapbooking kits and gives lots of cute freebies which I just love!

I added my text to these freebie cards and just had them printed at walgreens. Easy Peasy!

Figure out which order you want them to go in {make sure not to put all the best ones first or his expectations will be way too high} and put them in envelopes numbered 1-12.

Then display them! I just hung a cute ribbon on the wall and clipped my envelopes to them!

Now I plan for my 12 days to end on Christmas Eve, therefore day one will be Dec. 13th.

But feel free to hang up your cards a few days early so your man can get excited about all his surprises!

How special he will feel that you spent so much time thinking just of him, and that you want to do all these nice things for him!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!

Christmas Subway Art Printable

2010-12-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

So I love subway art, I love digitally creating things, and I love printables.

Plus I have this especially-for-printables frame on the entryway table.

So presenting, my super cute Christmas subway art printable for me and you!

Its another perfect reminder of the importance of the season, and it is perfect next to our cute nativity set and my fab countdown blocks!

So feel free to add one to your holiday decor!

It would also make a perfect holiday card, just print it on a piece of card stock, fold and there you go!

Here are two slightly different versions. I made one and thought it needed a little tweaking, thus the second one.

Just right click, save and print!

Feel free to share, just give the credit to you know who! {me}

Merry Christmas and happy printing!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 12 - Gift Idea - Lemon Sugar Scrub!!

2010-12-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well, today is Christmas craft #12!

I hope you've found some things that have interested you.

Today's craft is one of my favorites!

Lemon Sugar Scrub!

Things you'll need:

Cute little jars or whatever you want to store your scrub in

Printed tags

Ribbon

Granulated sugar

Oil (which ever kind you prefer)

Lemon Juice

Lemon rind grated

Vitamin E oil

First step is to start mixing together your ingredients.

{Now these measurements are approximate cuz I added an extra sprinkling of this and that along the way - also these measurements fill approximately 3-4 small jars}

3 C sugar

1 C oil

1/4 C lemon juice

rind of 2+ lemons

1-2 t. vitamin e oil

Mix it all together and add more oil or sugar depending on how thick you like it.

I got a whole bunch of little jars from the craft store for that work perfectly for the sugar scrub!

Now fill up your jars then tie on your cute little tags.

If you like my tags, feel free to borrow them!

Now you're done!

If you have some tiny spoons they take the cuteness up a few notches, but if not, no worries.

I think everyone would love some yummy smelling sugar scrub!

And when I was done making this, my hands were so soft! I am, of course, going to keep some of this for myself! :)

Well, thanks for stopping by and having a look!

Happy Christmas Crafting!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 11 - Neighbor gifts in a jar

2010-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

For today's craft we've got great gifts for your neighbors and mine!

Brownie mixes in a jar!

These are perfect for a few reasons, one they are easy, and two if you're like me and don't want tons of baked goodies around the house, these are the neighbor gifts for you!

As you can see I made two different kinds.

The first I used my basic brownie recipe and measured out each ingredient.

Then I layered them in the jar.

Chocolate chips, brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

Next step is to cut your fabric and secure it over the lid with a rubber band, then tie a decorative ribbon over the top.

I finished it up with this cute tiny spatula. {good luck finding one. . .I've had this one for years and couldn't find any more. . . if you know where I can get more, let me know!}

Option B is for you if you want to spend even less time!

I layered chocolate chips, walnuts {marshmallows optional} and then poured on half of a boxed brownie mix on top of that! Easy, and one box fills up two jars!! Woo Hoo!

Now decorate your jar!

And of course, don't forget to add a tax letting your recipient know what to add and how long to bake.

We just printed them on labels and stuck them to the back of a cute gift tag!

It took me longer to type this post than it did to make these two jars! :)

These gifts are especially great because your recipient can make them whenever. . . Maybe right away, or maybe in a month or two when they want a sweet treat! Also they store great so you can have an extra jar or two on hand just in case someone unexpectedly stops by your place with treats.

Hope this gives you an extra idea to either use or to file away!

Happy Christmas crafting and treat making!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 10 - Gift packaging & wrapping

2010-11-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

So once you've made your fun treats and all your wonderful handmade gifts, the wrapping begins!

I've got a few great ideas for packaging treats to give away

as well as a super cute and easy pillow box template to make packaging easy and cheap!

Now for my treat packaging I reused two different containers rather than throwing them away.

The first is the plastic container that your Crystal Light {or any knock off brand} comes in.

Once you peal off the label its as easy as covering it with some cute paper and adding a cute ribbon and tag!

Look how perfect it is for stacking cookies!

Next thing I used was an old peanut container. I covered it with paper just like the juice tub but this time I filled it with my yummy peppermint candy!

These were super quick and easy, but the best part is that they are free, and its a great way to recycle.

{You're welcome Earth - I try to do my part}

Ok on to the next. . .

You need something to wrap all that jewelry you've been making. Or maybe a little something to jazz up those gift cards you're giving.

How about a pillow box?

This little box is perfect for a necklace/earring set!

Now, here is s fab little template for you!

All you do is print this baby onto any piece of card stock that you want.

Then you cut on the solid lines and score on the dotted lines, and fold.

A little glue on the flap and your box is ready to use!

Now that it is officially Christmas time, its time to break out the scissors and tape and start wrapping!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Part 9 - Chocolate Candy Cane Yumm!

2010-11-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Is anyone familiar with those unbelievably delicious Ghiradelli limited time only chocolate peppermint candies that they sell only during Christmas time?

I. Love. Them.

Seriously, one bag just doesn't do it for me.

This year I tried making my own, and let me tell you, I won't be buying them any more. . . I'll be making them!

Super yummy and who whoulda known they are so easy to make!

Ingredients:

Milk chocolate bark

White chocolate bark

1 package of candy canes

parchment paper

jelly roll pan

First start with your chocolate.

Melt the whole package of milk chocolate and pour it into a parchment lined jelly roll pan.

Stick it in the fridge to harden.

While its hardening put your candy canes into the food processor and grind them up!

Grind it til its about the same consistency as sand, some bigger chunks and some fine dust.

Once the chocolate in the fridge has hardened melt your white chocolate.

Once it is all melted stir in your crushed candy canes.

Now pour it over the milk chocolate in the pan and spread it all out evenly.

Do this pretty quickly or the chocolate underneath will start to melt and the two will mix together. {you can see a spot or two on mine where this started happening}

Now put the whole thing in the fridge and let it harden.

The last step is to break it all up into pieces. I tried cutting it into a bunch of neat squares, but it just didn't happen. No biggy.

Now make sure you put it in two containers, one to share with your family, and one to hide in your sock drawer. {just kidding - or am I?}

12 Crafts of Christmas - Part 8 - Gift Idea - Flower Pearl Necklace

2010-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I think handmade jewelry makes a fab gift!

For a fraction of the cost you can replicate almost any jewelry you see!

I'm gonna show you how to make this necklace!

I've gotten lots of compliments on this necklace and a few requests for a tute so, here it is!

Supplies needed:

Beads - I used pearls in 2 sizes {glass pearls obviously}

and maybe a few other beads for some variety.

Jump Rings

Eye pins

Thick elastic

Gorilla glue

Flower embellishment

Needle nose pliers (or jewelry pliers)

Wire cutters

Ok, now lets get started!

Step1 - Put one of the larger pearls on an eye pin

Step 2 - cut the eye pin about 1/2 inch above the bead

Step 3 - bend the eye pin around the tip of the pliers

Step 4 - finish bending until you have a closed loop

Repeat this about 20 times or so.

Step 5 - Attach all the bead/eye pin thingys you just made together with your jump rings

This is what you should have once all your bead are attached. A cute little chain of beads.

Now lets get working on the flower.

I used a fabric flower that was attached to a bobby pin. . .Perfect! I only had to tweek it a bit and voila!

If you can find a bobby pin flower, it would be super easy - so look at the dollar store - thats where I got mine.

Step 6 - Remove the bobby pin

Step 7 - Put a jump ring through the hole where the bobby pin used to be

Step 8 - Create a second loop on the eye pin like you did in step 3/4

Step 9 - Put a jump ring on both sides of the eye pin.

One one side you will attach the beads you strung together and on the other you will tie your elastic (step 11)

Step 10 - String a whole slew of your smaller beads onto your elastic. Easy.

Step 11 - Now tie the elastic onto the jump rings on both sides. . . add a few knots and a drop of gorilla glue.

{Gorilla glue is my little trick when working with elastic. One drop is all you need.}

If your bead has a large enough hole you can slip the know into the bead so its not so apparent.

Once your glue is dry, your necklace is ready to wear!

There are quite a few steps but I think the end result is worth it.

Too much work for you??
Try an easier necklace like this one.

Now go and make some homemade gifts and Happy Christmas Crafting!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 7 - Christmas Countdown Blocks

2010-11-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas is getting close! How many days do we have left??? I don't know, let me go count it up on the calender. No, wait. . . Let me check my new Days til Christmas countdown blocks!

{Ok, there is not 10 days left, but you get the idea.}

I love being reminded that Christmas is getting closer, don't you?!

Wanna make one?

What you'll need;

two square blocks - you can get these from the craft store.

a piece of wood for the base - I used a 2x4 cut a little longer than the two blocks put together

paint

Christmas paper (scrapbook or wrapping paper would work)

numbers to put on the blocks I used stickers but vinyl would work too.

"Days 'til Christmas" printout for the base or vinyl or marker

glue or mod podge

First step, paint all the wooden pieces.

next cut your paper the size of your blocks, or maybe slightly smaller. You'll need to cover all six sides.

Glue or mod podge them on and let them dry.

For my base I just printed out "Days 'til Christmas" on regular computer paper and mod podged it right on the base. But you could use vinyl or even a marker and just write it on.

Now its time to stick on the numbers. On the first block you are going to put numbers 0,1,2,3,4,5 and on the second block you are going to put 0,1,2,6,7,8 (note: your 6 will also double as your 9 so make sure it looks like a 9 when turned upside down!)

Now its time to display them. . . almost. Your new blocks will count down from 32 days til Christmas all the way down to 0!

What a perfect way to keep track of how many days left, without all the mess and bulk of other methods like the good ol' paper chains!

Happy Christmas Crafting!

Bee Thankful Thanksgiving Printable

2010-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Tis the Season to be thankful!
I don't know about you, but I love a cute little reminder to be thankful and to count my blessings.

So I made this cute little Bee Happy, Bee Thankful print to put in my frame on my entryway table.
Really, at this time of year I am reminded of just how fortunate many of us are, me especially, and there is absolutely no reason not to be happy and thankful!

If you want to print your own, here you go - especially for you.

I also made this other print and put it in a frame and it works just like a dry erase board.
Now we can write down our blessings one by one each time we are reminded of something else we are blessed with.

Its a super easy way to count your blessings.
If you'd like one to frame for yourself, once again, go ahead and take it.
Just right click on the printable and save them to your computer then print and frame!

All I ask is that you tell people where you got them. :)

Happy Crafting, and remember to count your many blessings!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 6 - Christmas Decor - 2 Christmas Wreaths

2010-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

We all love a craft that doesn't cost too much {especially around the holidays}!
I've got two fun Christmas-y wreaths that are both super easy and super inexpensive!

This festive ornament wreath,

and this super fun card holding wreath!

First for our pretty and shiny ornament wreath here is what you need:
A pre-made wreath, or some garland made into a wreath
Ornaments in a few different sizes
Hot glue gun
Sparkly J-O-Y

First things first, the sparkly J-O-Y letters I made myself. I just used wooden letters from the craft store, some glue and glitter - easy peasy!

So I glued the letters on to the wreath first where I wanted them, then I just started placing the ornaments where I wanted them. I took off the top metal piece and glued the top of the ornament onto the wreath so it doesn't show.

Seriously easy! It took me a half hour and cost me $4.50!

Oooh Yeah!

Now onto the card holding wreath.

Only three ingredients needed:

A wooden embroidery hoop

mini wooden paperclips

woodglue

And this project really is as easy as gluing the paperclips onto the embroidery hoop!

Make sure you alternate where the paperclip opens as shown in the picture below.

Every other one opens to the inside and every other one opens to the outside.

Let your glue dry for a while so your paperclips don't pop off and there you have your fun card holding wreath!

I like this one cuz its different from what you normally see in the way of Christmas card displays.

Again this one only cost me a couple bucks as well.

My kind of projects. . . cheap and done in a snap!

Happy Christmas Crafting from me to you!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 5 - Gift Idea - Snowflake Etched Glass Plate!

2010-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

This super festive etched glass plate is so cute you may have to make two. . . one to give away and one to keep!

This would make a cute plate to set out for Santa on Christmas eve, or just a great way to give treats to your friends and neighbors. Once the treats are gone, they still have the pretty plate!

Two gifts in one!

Really cute and really easy!! You have to try it, It will be time well spent!

Start out with the dishes you are going to etch. . . other than plates you could use etch onto glasses or a casserole dish, or even a big glass bowl, pretty much anything.

Next, decide what you want to etch into the plate. I went with a simple snowflake, this way it can be used all winter, not only at Christmas. You could etch a snowman, or candy canes, or even a Santa silhouette.

Next cut out your stencil. I printed and cut out a snowflake then traced it onto contact paper.

Now Cut it out of the contact paper and stick it to your plate.

Be sure to make sure your plate is nice and clean.

I etched my design onto the bottom of the plate so the top surface would remain nice and smooth.

Now its time for the etching. I used Armour Etch that I got from Michaels.

It costs right around ten bucks for a little bottle, so it is tempting to be a little stingy when putting it on your plate. . . not a good idea.

My first try I painted on a thin layer of the cream. When I wiped it off it was etched all weird and uneven.

So make sure you really glob it on and cover every little spot.

Let it sit there for as long as you like. . . one minute is not long enough, and I found that 5-10 minutes is about perfect.

Now scrape it all off. The great thing about this stuff is that you can reuse it! You can use it then scrape it right back into the bottle!

A penny saved right?!

Once your plate is all done you can display all your hard work!

Maybe even with some yummies on top?

So give it a try, and Happy Christmas Crafting!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 4 - Gift Idea - Greeting Card Box Set

2010-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

How about giving a super cute boxed set of greeting cards to someone on your Christmas list?
This would be a perfect gift for someone you visit teach, or maybe a school teacher, or even a grandma, or really anyone. . . everyone could use a set of handmade cards!

This handy little box is filled with all these pretty greeting cards!

The cards are a little bit of everything. . . some "Just Because", some "Thank You", some "Happy Birthday" and a few others for almost every occasion!

I'll let you use your own creative juices to make your plethora of cards, but I'll show you how to make this cute little card box.

Start with a piece of card stock 8 1/2" x 11"

We're gonna make a few scores and a few cuts.
See the picture below

Ok, now fold on all the score lines and what you have should look like this

Ok, now fold in the little bottom flap and the two side flaps and glue them together.

Glue both sides and you should have this little box.

Now we're gonna make the top/front piece.
Cut another piece of card stock about 7"x7"
Now score this piece at 1" and 2" from the back as shown in the picture.

Fold on your score lines.
Now glue the 1" back piece to the back of your card box.
Now it should fold over nicely.

(I added a brad on each side and two on the back for extra reinforcement and a little decorative touch.)

This is the front with the top flap closed.
(I cut about an inch off of the front piece so it wasn't so long as you can see)

To close it I just used an exacto knife and cut little slits for the corners to slip into.
It was super easy, but you could also just tie a ribbon around it and it would be super cute!

In goes your cards (don't forget the envelopes) and there you have a cute greeting card box set to give as a gift to anyone on your list!

Hope you enjoy it and Happy Christmas Crafting!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 3 - Gift Idea - Wire Beaded Earrings

2010-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you need a nice, small gift for anyone on your list? Or maybe you just want to add a little something extra to someones stocking.

Jewelry makes a great gift for just about any woman.

I'll show you how I made this pair of simple, yet classic earrings.

First things first, here is what you are going to need;

shiny wire

earring wires

beads of your choice

needle nose pliers (or jewelry making pliers)

wire cutters

Ok, here we go!

Cut your wire about 5 inches long. (err on the side of too long, you can always cut the wire down.)

About a third of the way from the top, bend the wire at a 90 degree angle.

Hold the wire at the corner you just made with your pliers and wrap the short piece of wire around the tip of your pliers.

Wrap it around as many times as it will go and then make sure the end of the wire is tucked on the inside so the wearer wont get scratched or poked.

Your wire should look like this.

Now put your chosen beads on the wire.

Aren't these wire wrapped beads the best! I found them at my ever favorite Hobby Lobby.

Next, about a quarter inch from the top of the beads, bend another 90 degree angle

Slip on your earring wire. . .

then bend down your wire as shown.

Now, hold your earring right under the the earring wire, and wrap the remaining wire between the top of the beads and the bottom of the pliers

Once again, make sure you tuck in the end.

Now make another one, and you've got a pair of super cute earrings!

Wouldn't these green ones be cute for Christmas?!

{I totally made a pair for myself!}

But these purple ones are also just as fab!

So, go ahead and give it a try. . . Its a quick craft, with a super result! And the recipient of these I'm sure will love them!

Happy Christmas Crafting!!

Gobble Gobble Free Printable!

2010-11-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, all the Halloween decor is packed away, and we have a little while yet until its time to decorate for Christmas. In the meantime we need a little something to fill the space. . .

How about something cute and Thanksgivingy?

Cute right? Fills in the space nicely, plus it looks good with my pumpkins!

Want your own cute Thanksgiving picture?

Here you go, my Happy-Friday-Happy-November gift to you!

Just right click the picture, save it to your computer and print!

Hope you enjoy it!

Feel free to share, all I ask is that if you do, you tell people where you got it.

{Not too much to ask right? ☺}

12 Crafts of Christmas - Make your own photo Christmas cards!

2010-11-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

I love photo Christmas cards!

I love having them made and sending them out to all our friends and family!

What I don't love is the price.

Depending on where you buy them and how many you get, it can sometimes get kinda pricey.

I'll show you how to make them for free! {or dang near free anyway}

Start with whatever pictures you are going to use and edit them as necessary.

First I'm gonna show you how I made the collage card.

To make the words on the card I used Paint.net

If you don't already use it, you should! Its free and super easy to teach yourself! (I suppose you could probably use paintbrush for this also.)

Ok, so in Paint, create your word squares the size and color you want them, and them save them to your computer in JPEG format.

Next we are going to use Picasa (another easy and free program) to easily create our collage.

Once you download it it automatically uploads all your pics on your computer. Nice right?!

Ok, so in Picasa select all the items you want in your photo card {pictures and words etc.} then click on the Collage button.

This will put them into a collage for you and you just need to play with it and arrange it all to your liking.

You can change the layout of the pictures using one of the layouts in the settings or you can drag and re-size each picture as you wish.

You can also add borders to your pictures, change the background color and choose the size of your collage.

I made my collage 4x6 because I plan to have them printed at the store.

It took me a little while and a few tries til I ended up with one I was happy enough with to send to everyone.

Once you are finished, click Create Collage and there it is!

Like I said before, I made my collage 4x6 because I plan to have them printed at the store.

I can get them printed any number of places for only pennies a piece.

{Just a little tip - most online photo sites offer new customers 50-100 free prints! So you could get them printed for Freeee!!}

Ok, now on to the second card.

For this one I only used paint.net.
I created three layers. By using different layers you are able to edit and move each item independently of the other items in your card.
The first layer {or background} is your background color and any text you want. Easy.
{Make sure you make this 4x6 if you plan to have these printed at the store, or whatever size you'd like.}

Next create a layer using your picture. Resize and edit as necessary.

My last layer is this cute little tree image I used. You could draw/create your own image or paste in a clip art image or really whatever you'd like.

Then combine all your layers and there you have your custom made-by-you Christmas card!

So there you have it. I hope this made sense. Like I said, the programs take a little playing around with but you'll get the hang of it, and how great would it be to be able to send out Christmas Cards that you made!

Good luck, feel free to email me with any questions and happy digital creating!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Gift Idea - Mommy & Me Aprons!

2010-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes I know I've pretty much just skipped over Halloween and Thanksgiving, but we've all got to get started on those homemade Christmas presents right?!

Here is a great gift idea for a mother and daughter

{or any woman for that matter}

A set of Mommy & Me aprons!

What little girl wouldn't just love an apron that matches moms!

This creation took me a few hours of sewing, and $0.00! Yep, zip, zilch, nada!

I made it out of an old shirt of the hubbys and a purple pillowcase.

One shirt made both of these aprons, Awesome!
{and remember. . .my sewing skills are limited basically to just sewing a straight line, so this would be an easy gift for anyone to make!}

I just love the little girl apron, so cute!

How much fun my little niece will have all dressed up like mommy in the kitchen!

I added these fun little flower pins that they can remove when they throw the aprons in the wash.

Add a cookie mix, a mommy sized spatula, and a little spatula and there you have one cute-thoughtful-made just-for-me gift!

PS - I don't have a tutorial for the aprons cuz I just made it up as I went along but I do know of this site with 50 free apron patterns. Hop on over and find one you like!

So there you have it, one great idea to start making for someone on your list.

Merry preparing for Christmas. . . It'll be here before we know it!

12 Crafts of Christmas Coming Soon!

2010-10-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well, first things first, thanks to the few of you who gave me your opinion on when to start posting Christmas crafts, the vote was to post them sooner rather than later.

I'm not going to argue with that!

Starting November 1st you can get all your Christmas ideas here!

I've got lots of gift ideas, yummy treats and other fun stuff in store. Its gonna be lots of fun!

I'm calling it my 12 Crafts of Christmas!!

So prepare yourselves for the upcoming Christmas fun and stop by soon!

I'm toying around with the idea of one day having a linky party so all of you can link up your grand Christmasy ideas. What do you think. . . anyone interested?

From one bargain hunter to another. . .

2010-10-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

With Christmas right around the corner who's not on the lookout for an awesome, personalized {inexpensive} gift?!

How about a free hardcover photo book!

I love a good deal! All you have to pay is shipping. These books typically run 35-40 bucks a piece so $8.99 for one is a steal!

It only goes until October 25, so if you want one the sooner the better.

I decided to make a book of our wedding and I love how it turned out!

Here are a few more details . . .

Offer good from October 15th through October 25th.
The cost of one 20-page Large photo book (up to $39.99) will be deducted from the order total. If the book contains more than 20 pages, the customer will be charged for the additional pages.
Taxes and shipping charges are additional. (around $8.99 shipping)
Click on the link to sign up - code for the free book is FALLBK
This coupon is for first-time Picaboo customers only.

Just thought I'd pass on this great deal, from one bargain hunter to another!

Is it too early. . .

2010-10-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

How early is too early to start celebrating Christmas?

Before Halloween?? Before Thanksgiving??
Da Hubs wont let me decorate for Christmas until November.

Ok, so I can't decorate for a while, but when is too early to start posting
Christmas Crafts?

I've got lots of fun stuff I cant wait to make and share!

Am I the only one who wishes the Christmas season lasted half the year???

Spread Some Love with a Cute Card!

2010-10-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Do you ever make your own greeting cards?

I used to all the time but I kind of got out of the groove.

Any time I give my dad a store bought card he makes this sad face and says, "You didn't make me a card???"

So I made my dad's birthday card this year.

I used this cute idea that I've been storing in my noggin for who knows how long.

Homemade-card-for-men ideas are difficult to come by so I thought I share it.

While I was at it I made a simple birthday card for my sis. . .

as well as a cute little gift card holder.

Its so fun to be able to spread some love and give away a little something I created by just putting a stamp on it!

Thanks for reading! Enjoy this beautiful Fall day!

I Do Believe In Spooks!

2010-10-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not super big into Halloween, but I do like a little a little bit of seasonal decor around.

Here is my latest creation.

Isn't it Fun?!

I love the phrase and I ♥ The Wizard of OZ!

I got the idea from You Craft Me Up and just had to try it out for myself. {though I cant believe I didn't think of it first!}

Here is my how to.

Heres what you need:

Wood

Fabric

Mod Podge

Letters Printed in outline form

Scissors

First I covered the board with the fabric. Mod Podge all over the board and then press the fabric onto it.

While it dries print and cut out your letters. To get the outline shape you just type everything out then go under format, then font and select outline.

Easy Peasy.

Next cut out your letters. It didn't take as long as you'd think, and was pretty simple, but really you could use punch out letters, or maybe stickers. {Not sure really if stickers would work but you could try.} Or of course you could use vinyl letters.

Lastly, arrange your letters how you want and stick them down by coating the back of the letters {only} with Mod Podge and sticking them in place.

Once they are dry, bam! Your Done!

There you have it!

Thanks for reading, and happy creating this week!

Reader Creation {fabric pumpkins}

2010-10-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

I love it when one of my readers likes something I've made enough to try it out themselves!

Micki tried out my fabric pumpkin tutorial and they turned out super cute!

Aren't they adorable?!

I love the fabric she used!

She is having so much fun making them. that she's made a whole slew of em!

Pop on over to her blog if you want and have a look.

Thanks for sharing your pumpkins with us Micki, they are beautiful!

Look What I've Got!

2010-10-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite Disney movies was released today!

Yay!

We're watching this tonight!

Maybe we'll make a night of it and do a little coloring.

Just thought I'd share my excitement with you.

Whats not to love about this movie?!

Its ALMOST diet time. . .

2010-09-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, the diet starts Monday.

Literally.

Diet time.

So, naturally I decided to make one more yummy treat before then.

☺

Banana chocolate chip muffins!

They taste even better than they look.

Now I know that you may already have a trusty banana bread recipe, but if not you can use mine.

½ C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs
3 crushed bananas
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
½ -1 pkg chocolate chips

Melt butter and mix together with sugar, eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and bake in a well greased and floured pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Or if you decide to make cute mini muffins like I did, bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

Makes one loaf or 36-48 mini muffins.

Then enjoy!

Maybe I should be really bad and eat it with butter???

Well, enjoy the upcoming weekend and whatever Friday blog fun you may take part in. . .

We're spending the weekend in AZ. . . I'm prayin for cool weather!

Birthday Topiary!

2010-09-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

What do you do to celebrate the birthdays of those you love?

I love birthdays and I like to celebrate and make a big deal. . . I think everyone deserves to be celebrated!

Here is a little decoration I made recently before my hubby's b-day.

I wanted something festive that I could just keep on the table as a daily celebratory reminder!

What do you think??

Do you think its as cute as I do??

Here is what you'll need if you want to make one;

a big styrofoam ball

a bunch of balloons - I used 300 tiny (water) balloons.

glue gun

a long dowel

a pot of your choosing

floral foam

floral moss

First, prepare for a few hot glue burns. . . next just start gluing your balloons!

I had some long balloons and I used them on the bottom as kind of a base covering.

Then I just glued on all the other balloons, no rhyme or reason to the way I did it, just balloons, balloons everywhere!

Just make sure that you spread out all the colors and make sure all the styrofoam is covered.

Once your ball is covered decide where you want your dowel and just stick it on it.

Now stick your {almost} topiary in your pot with the floral foam. This will keep it nice and steady.

Last step, add some finishing touches.

I added a little floral moss to cover the foam and I thought it needed a little somethin else so I added the cute little Happy Birthday printout.

And there you have it, a way cute Happy Birthday topiary!

What a super cute party decoration this would make!

Not much of a party animal??

Just let it sit out and remind the birthday boy or girl how special they are!

Happy Birthday to my Handsome Stud!

Blog Swapping with Night Owl Crafting

2010-09-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

I am super excited to have Leslie from Night Owl Crafting here today!

If you're not already familiar with her blog, it is fab!

And I absolutly love the name of her blog! Aren't we all Night Owl Crafters sometimes? :)

Hello Ready Set Create followers! I am so excited that Aleesha is letting me take over her fabulous blog today! I love following her blog and checking out all her cute creations!

Let me introduce myself! My name is Leslie and I am the creator of

Night Owl Crafting.

I started blogging back in 2008 and decided that my personal blog was being over taken by my crafts. So I started my craft blog to share my creations and inspirations that I receive from fellow bloggers and crafters. I host 2 link parties each week. The first one is on Tuesdays and it is called

Hoo are you Tuesdays!

This party is where you answer a few questions I ask each week and then link up your post! This is a party to get to know each other outside the craft world!

The other one is held every Wednesday and it is called

Hoo's got Talent?

This link party is where you can come and show off whatever you have been making!

I hope you will come and link up to both parties!

I am in love with SUBWAY ART right now!
Here is my fall subway art I created.

I enjoy sewing!

I recently made this reversible apron for a friend!

Here is a little handbag/ scripture tote.

I made a changing pad and it even has a tutorial!

I like to make decorations for my home!

I had so much fun making these adorable fabric pinwheels!

I am loving Washi Tape! What is it you ask? It is Japanese tape that you can decorate with! I have decorated my vases with it and covered clothespins as well!

I also LOVE vinyl!

I make these cute family name frames!

I think it turned out darling! I just set up my Etsy account and have these available in black or brown and with or without ribbon.

Today I would love to show you my latest projects!

In the spring I made lady bugs out of pavers and I knew that come fall I would love to make pumpkins.
So here is the tutorial for my pumpkin payvers.

Supplies

payvers
orange and brown paint
wire, ribbon, fabric, or raffia
paint brush

Step 1~ paint your paver orange. I spray painted mine.

Step 2~ Paint the stem brown. I used paint and a paint brush to do this, because it got dark before I could cover the bottom part and spray paint the stem.

Step 3~ Grab some wire, ribbon, fabric, raffia, or what ever you like to
tie between the stem and the pumpkin.

I used green wire and curled the ends.

Now you have a cute little pumpkin. It is really that easy.

I have so many more cute projects that you should come and check out over at Night Owl Crafting and please come join my link parties! I love meeting new HOOTS!

Thanks Aleesha so much for swapping with me today. I had a FABULOUS time!

Fun Festive Fabric Pumpkins!

2010-09-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I admit it, Fall is upon us.

While I'm not thrilled about the impending snow storms and the inevitable snowed-in days, I do love fall!
The cool weather, the colors, the leaves changing and falling off the trees, and the fun Fall decor!

Here is my first craft of the season.
Cute, festive, stuffed pumpkins!

Cute right?! I whipped up two of these babies during an episode of What Not To Wear.

Want to make some of your own? Here we go!

Start with whatever fabric you're going to use. Make the width twice as long as as the height.

I made mine 11 inches by 22 inches.

Next we're gonna ruffle the top and the bottom (the two long sides.)

On the sewing machine use the longest stitches and the highest tension. Start sewing without pulling the fabric tight and the machine should do the ruffling for you.

(if it doesn't then just pull on one of the strings when you're done sewing to make it ruffle up.)

What we're going to do next is sew the two shorter sides together (11 inch sides) right sides together.

Now you'll have a tube with a ruffly top and bottom.

Gather the bottom together and hand stitch it closed.

Next fill it full of stuffing. . .

Then gather the top and stitch it closed.

This is what it looks like at this point. . . a big round lumpy {almost} pumpkin.

The next step is whats gonna give it that pumpkiny look.

I just used some regular thread and a long needle. . . start at the bottom, and bring your needle up through the middle and then down around to the bottom and up through the middle again as many times as you want - I did it 5 times.
(does that all make sense???)

Now for the stem. Super easy.
Cut two stem shaped pieces. They don't have to be perfect. . . what stem is perfect???

Sew them right sides together, flip right sides out and stuff. Now sew the bottom closed. It doesn't matter what it looks like, the bottom wont show.

Last step, pull out the hot glue gun and glue on the stem and if you want to a couple fake leaves.
And Voila! There you have your cute stuffed pumpkin!

Now all you have to decide where to put them!
On the kitchen table. . .

Maybe on the entryway table?

No matter where you put them they will look fab and make a great fall decoration!

Thanks for stopping by. . . Enjoy this beautiful season and happy creating!

Home Decor on a Dime part 2 Flowery Wall Art

2010-09-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a project for you if you want something inexpensive and something quick and easy.

Start out with some frames (as many as you'd like) patterned paper, flowers, and your glue gun.

Start out by framing your paper.

I actually used wrapping paper that I got from Target for $1 and is way to pretty to just use for wrapping!

Next I just glued my flowers right on top of the glass.

Last step, Hang!

I love these with the flower glued to the top. . . They have both pattern and texture.
These are the perfect pieces for tying my craft room decor together, some black and white, some Gerber daisies, now these have a little bit of both!

I'll always have bright, blooming flowers around. . . I love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

A new life for an old curtain!

2010-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I did a little decorating with an old curtain we had sitting in the closet . . .

Yes, a little decorating done with a shower curtain!

The Hubs and I got this shower curtain 3 1/2 years ago when we first got married.

Pretty, neutral, but kinda plain . . . It was time for it to get a new life!

Its perfect fabric for doing some recovering!

First I made some "art" if you will for the wall.

I love these on the wall! They are big, yet simple and I love the way they turned out!

I started with some squares of wood, some batting and my staple gun!

Its as easy as cover, wrap and staple.

Next I covered the cushion on our cedar chest. It used to be a flowery blue. . . that didn't match with anything. With the leftover I made a little throw pillow.

Its great to be able to re-purpose something that was just sitting on the shelf, and even better to have some great {free} fabric for my projects!

What do you have sitting around that you can give a new life to???

More Canvas Art!

2010-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another of my latest projects.

Not bad huh? Simple yet makes a dramatic statement.

This is much like my subway art, in that it would be quicker with a Cricut, but here is the cricut free way to do it, as I have yet to invest in one. :)

Not too hard, Just a bit time consuming.

Here is what you'll need -

Contact paper

Stencil or a printout of the design you want to use

Sharpie

Scissors

Now, I didn't have a stencil so i just printed off some designs that I liked.

First cut them out, and then trace them onto the contact paper.

Next cut out shapes you traced on the contact paper.

Peal and stick to your canvases.

Paint your canvases, let dry and then peal those bad boys right off!

Here is the final product.

I'm pretty happy with it. Its bold and black and white, you all know that's the phase I'm apparently going through.

Well, thanks for stopping by and having a look. . . Happy Creating!

Fabric Covered Canvas

2010-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

I wish I was one of those people who is super talented with a paintbrush. If Its a room that needs painted, I'm your girl. But if its a pretty design or picture that needs painted, Um, that's not for me!

But C'est La Vie!

I am however, queen of the staple gun!

So pull out yours and lets get going on some of these beauties!

I L.O.V.E. them!

These really were as easy as cut, wrap, and staple!

This way you get the look of a nicely decorated canvas without the mess and hassle of painting!

Good to know that I don't need to be a world class artist to make something beautiful!

Happy Salami Day!

2010-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard me right, happy Salami Day!

What, you've never heard of Salami day before?

Well it has the unfortunate luck of being right around Labor day. . . Sept 7th to be exact.

This year we decided to celebrate!

So we had a Salami party!

Our party was complete with lots of different types of salami, eaten in lots of different ways.

I even made (what are supposed to be) salami cookies. Maybe next year they will look better. :) They are tasty though!

One of my 101 goals was to celebrate an unusual holiday, so check! That one is done.

Although I must say I checked out this website and I found lots of holidays that would be fun to celebrate.

Any excuse for a party is good right?!

So, Take a look and see if there are any not-so-well-known holidays that you'd like to celebrate, and Happy Salami Day!

A time for a BBQ (and a recipe)

2010-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Labor Day weekend us upon us. . . a time for fun, family and BBQ's!

Ha Ha! Funny right?! No that is not our grill. . . But It cracks me up!

In the spirit of BBQing, I'm gonna share with you a super good recipe for Caribbean Jerk BBQ Sauce.

This stuff is mouthwatering! Use it just about anything you want to stick on the grill!

We love it on hot wings!

So try it out if you want, but have a great long weekend!

Caribbean Jerk Sauce

1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T hot sauce

pepper
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cayenne
parsley
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp each: salt, garlic powder, onion powder
1/8 tsp each ground clove, nutmeg,allspice, sage, thyme

Whisk all ingredients together and bring to boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.

Can I say yumm!!

If you want it a little less spicy, go easier on the cayenne.

101 Goals in 1001 Days

2010-09-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

OK. . . so I've been compiling a list of goals I'd like to accomplish. 101 goals. I'm going to complete these goals in 1001 days. That's a little over 2.5 years. Sounds fun right? I think its gonna be! I got the idea from some some blog friends, but I think the idea originated here.

I'm totally excited to do all these things and to be able to see all the goals I've accomplished by the end!
I started June 15th, 2010 - so 1001 days from then is March 12th, 2013.
I have til then to accomplish all my goals!

So, feel free to read through my goals, I'll be updating how I'm doing on them HERE just in case you're interested. :)

Traveling
1. Visit 3 new temples
2. Go on a cruise
3. Visit 5 New States
4. Visit a historical site
5. Breath the ocean air
6. Take a trip to AZ
7. Get a passport
8. Visit someplace out of the country
9. Go Camping with the Hubby
10. Visit Spencer’s home town
11. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast

Things to Create
12. Make a skirt
13. Make a quilt
14. Decorate my craft room
15. Make a blog book for every year starting with 2008
16. Scrapbook our wedding
17. Make a cute sling bag
18. Decorate a cake with fondant (a good looking cake)

Food
19. Try one new recipe every month (33)
20. Find 5 recipes that we love and can add to our meal rotation
21. Learn to make one new desert that is beyond yummy
22. Eat 10 things I’ve never tried before
23. No sweets for a week (4 times) (0/4)
24. Make a meal plan for a week and stick to it 4 times (0/4)

For the body
25. Set up an exercise routine and stick to it
26. Learn yoga - have Spencer teach me
27. Lose 40 lbs (0/40)
28. Floss everyday for a month
29. Take vitamins every day for a month
30. Go to the podiatrist and get my foot fixed
31. Wash my face every night before bed for a month
32. Get a professional pedicure with Spencer
33. Give myself a pedicure once a month (33)

For the mind
34. Read 20 New books (0/20)
35. Read the Book of Mormon in 90 days
36. Read the Book of Mormon 4 times (0/4)
37. Read scriptures every day for a month (0/30)
38. Find a new hobby/talent to develop
39. Learn 10 easy hymns on the piano (0/10)
40. Play the piano for 30 min 3 times a week for a month (0/12)
41. Learn to play a song on the guitar - an easy song

For the soul
42. Identify 25 things I like about myself (0/25)
43. Be more decisive
44. Be more spontaneous
45. Do genealogy work
46. Forgive
47. Donate to a good cause

For myself
48. Buy no unnecessary/fun stuff for a month
49. Don’t say “huh?” for 14 days (0/14)
50. Make a new friend
51. Have a girls night
52. Write a letter to myself to be opened at the end of the 1001 days
53. Clean up after myself as I go every day for one month

For us both
54. Get rid of 10 things we don’t use
55. Pay off the Car
56. Pay off all debt
57. Set up a rainy day fund
58. Put all our pictures in photo albums
59. Use our video camera
60. Rent our town home
61. Organize and complete our 72 hour kits
62. Have a photo book made

Things to buy
63. Get new eyeglasses
64. Get a new camera
65. Buy or dig a fire pit for the backyard
66. Buy a new TV

Computer/Blog stuff
67. Teach myself basic photoshop knowledge
68. Organize pictures on the computer and burn to discs
69. Find pictures from my childhood/family pictures and scan to the computer
70. Learn to make a blog background
71. Add pages to our blog

Just for fun
72. Take a hot air balloon ride
73. Go ice skating
74. Go to a Broadway show
75. Throw a surprise party
76. Learn how to give a good massage
77. Send out birthday cards to family and friends - don’t miss
78. Watch (10) “classic” movies (classic by MY definition) (0/10)
79. Surprise Spencer
80. Send out 10 cards just for no reason (0/10)
81. Watch all seasons of Prison Break (0/4)
82. Write letters to Scott on his mission at least once a month
83. Have professional photos of Spencer and I taken
84. Celebrate a different holiday http://www.holidaysforeveryday.com
85. Go to the library and (hopefully) find a good book to check out
86. Write a love note
87. Take pictures in a photo booth
88. Get together with someone I haven’t seen in a long time
89. Visit somewhere haunted
90. Adopt a US soldier
91. Go to Goo Goo Dolls concert #11
92. Private
93. Private

And since 2.5 years is a LONG time away, I left some blank spaces so I can fill them in at a later date.
94. To be added later
95. To be added later
96. To be added later
97. To be added later
98. To be added later
99. To be added later
100. To be added later
101. To be added later

Good luck to me on all my goals!

Do any of you have 101 goal lists???
If so, good luck and feel free to share! I love getting ideas for great goals from other ambitious people!

Giveaway Winner!

2010-09-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who entered the CSN stores giveaway!

I wish you all could win something but alas, we only have one winner.

Congrats Trisha, you are our lucky winner!

Hope you get something super fun Trisha!

PS - I used Random.org to choose the winner just fyi

A Thoughtful Surprise!

2010-08-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

The other day when my Hubby came home he brought me a little surprise just for no reason!

It wasn't a special occasion and he wasn't even in the dog house. (he he!)

How sweet is he!

Lots of yellow flowers just to make my day!

Needless to say, I am married to the best man!

Thanks Babe!

Who doesn't love flowers!?

Home Decor on a Dime Pretty Pleated Pillow!

2010-08-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is always on the look out for super cheap crafting ideas.

If I spend as much as I'd like to on all my crafty ventures I'm sure my Stud muffin aka the man of the house would not be super thrilled. . . am I right?

I've got a couple guest rooms that need some decor and I've got some ideas that aren't gonna cost much at all!

Here is what I started with

Isn't this such a cute pillow cover?! Is it pleated or is it ruffled? I'd say a little of both!

Total cost - $0

Ahhhh, Nice!

Here is a little 411 of how I made it. It is super easy! I can only sew in a straight line, which is good cuz that's all it takes!

I started with the pillow I was going to cover

and some fabric (I used an old sheet - perfect!)

Cut three pieces, two the same size, just slightly larger than the pillow. Make sure to add a few inches for seam allowance. Cut the third piece the same width as the first two but twice the length.

First we are going to start with the longest piece. First sew a basting stitch along both sides. (long stitches, low tension)

Pull one of the threads and it will start to gather your fabric.

Gather both sides until it is the same size as the shorter pieces. Pin the long gathered piece to one of the shorter pieces and sew them together.

Now the ruffled/pleated side is the front (or the right side). We are going to sew it to the back.

The back is the last piece you have left (one of the smaller pieces).

Now, cut this last piece in half so you can just slide your pillow in when its finished.

Now pin the back pieces to the front (the pleated side)

Right sides together - remember the pleated side is the right side

Now sew it all together. Flip it right side out, and put in your pillow!

Easy Peasy! And oh so pretty!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy I got Chocolate in my Tummy!

2010-08-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves something yummy for the tummy and anyone who knows me knows how much I love chocolate!

I've got quite a tastey recipe for you, some really great

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

I made this myself a while back to top some brownies and Ummm was it good!

It tastes almost like the store bought kind you get in a tub but its better and you can make it to whatever consistency you'd like.

In case you're interested in making it here it is

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/2 C Butter

3/4 C Cocoa

2 1/4 C Powdered Sugar

1/4 C Milk

1 t. Vanilla

Melt the butter on the stove then add the cocoa. Mix well and cook until boiling.

Take off the stove and cool.

Once cool add the vanilla and then alternately mix in the powdered sugar and the milk until the desired consistency is reached.

Then add to your favorite treats and there you have it!

It also makes a super yummy cookie sandwich!

One wont hurt. . .

Now, Go and make yourself something yummy for the weekend!

Blog Swapping with Curly Q Crafts

2010-08-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Today Brooke, the mastermind behind Curly Q Crafts is showin us some love!
Take a look at the super cute stuff she has in store!

Hello Ready, Set, Create Readers!

I am so excited to be taking over Aleesha's blog today!

Let me introduce myself:

My name is Brooke from Curly Q Crafts and I am a CRAFT ADDICT!

I love to do just about any craft under the sun (some more than others).

But I would have to say wood crafts are my FAVORITE! I love to sit in the garage and create, some turn out, some get burned! LOL!

So that being said I thought I would share my newest wood craft that I am so so excited about!

I love things that change with the seasons, it just makes things easier, wouldn't you agree??

So here it is my newest porch decoration!

I also LOVE 2x4 crafts, so I thought I would share my favorite one!

These 2x4 blocks actually all turn 360 degrees, so you can mix and match and turn as you please!

What you need:

3 2x4x4 blocks

2 2x4x2.5 (for top and bottom)

1 dowel

Drill pit slightly larger than dowel

Glue

Paper

Mod Podge/Spray adhesive

Stain/paint

Ribbon

6 Clips

After all your blocks are cut and sanded drill a hole down the very center of you 2x4 as shown here. Make sure your holes are straight and centered!

Once your center blocks are drilled, drill a hole on the top and bottom blocks (do not go all the way through, only about half way)

Cut your dowel down to size. Glue your dowel into you block but not your top.

I stained my blocks and then added my paper with spray adhesive and mod podge. Once your blocks are all decorated glue the top on and now you have a cute picture display that spins!

Thank you again to Ready, Set, Create we have enjoyed our stay!!

How super cute is that! And her new porch decoration. . . Yes please!

Thanks again Brooke!

Giveaway with CSN Stores (Basically just FREE money!)

2010-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

That's right people. . . you heard me!

Free Money!
Basically.
The lovely people at CSN stores want to give you a gift certificate to buy something pretty from one of their 200+ stores
$40.00

Think of what you could by with $40.00!
You could put it towards something big like this beautiful dining table

or get a super cool piece of art for your home!
Maybe you'd rather get a fun and sassy pair of shoes
or something for your kitchen.
So many possibilities!

Wanna win a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores???

Here's what you gotta do,
Take a look at some of the CSN websites and leave me a comment letting me know something you see that you like!

If your a follower of this here blog of mine, leave me another comment and you'll get two entries to win!

I'll announce the winner next week. . . Happy shopping!

Ready, Set, Create!!

Ruffled Zipper Pouch - Easy Peasy!

Crabby Patty Cookies!

Fun, Girly Button Bracelet

No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies + Printable Recipe Card

From Photo Album to Fab Recipe Book!!

Lets make Calzones! + a recipe

You are my sunshine printable

A "Joy Jar" for my love

Ummm. . . Tomato Basil Bread Recipe

Lucky You. . . to have a wife like me!

"Lucky Charm" printable

Night IN at the Movies

Guest Blogger - Ea from Finding Bliss...

St. Patrick's Day art and Thank You!

Yellow {clearance} home decor touches!

I'll get by with a little help from my friends - that means you! :)

A gift for someone HOT in your life!

Guest Blogger - Julie from Singing Three Little Birds

Guest Blogger - Karen from Pocket Full of Pink

Guest Blogger - Megan from The Bug Creator

Cuuute Heart Owl Valentines!

Guest Blogger - Crystal from Crystal's Craft Spot

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes for V-Day!

Valentines "Mix Tape" {with cute printable}

Valentines Day Alpha Printables

Calling all bloggers/crafters!

O-So-Yummy Steak Bistro Salad Recipe

Printable Thank You Cards

HELP my smart, savy fellow bloggers!

Botched Caramel to Scrumptious Caramel Cups!

Melting Snowman Cookies

Today I Will Be. . .

Clean Hands Gift Idea

12 Days of Christmas for the One you Love!

Christmas Subway Art Printable

12 Crafts of Christmas part 12 - Gift Idea - Lemon Sugar Scrub!!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 11 - Neighbor gifts in a jar

12 Crafts of Christmas part 10 - Gift packaging & wrapping

12 Crafts of Christmas - Part 9 - Chocolate Candy Cane Yumm!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Part 8 - Gift Idea - Flower Pearl Necklace

12 Crafts of Christmas part 7 - Christmas Countdown Blocks

Bee Thankful Thanksgiving Printable

12 Crafts of Christmas part 6 - Christmas Decor - 2 Christmas Wreaths

12 Crafts of Christmas part 5 - Gift Idea - Snowflake Etched Glass Plate!

12 Crafts of Christmas part 4 - Gift Idea - Greeting Card Box Set

12 Crafts of Christmas part 3 - Gift Idea - Wire Beaded Earrings

Gobble Gobble Free Printable!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Make your own photo Christmas cards!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Gift Idea - Mommy & Me Aprons!

12 Crafts of Christmas Coming Soon!

From one bargain hunter to another. . .

Is it too early. . .

Spread Some Love with a Cute Card!

I Do Believe In Spooks!

Reader Creation {fabric pumpkins}

Look What I've Got!

Its ALMOST diet time. . .

Birthday Topiary!

Blog Swapping with Night Owl Crafting

Fun Festive Fabric Pumpkins!

Home Decor on a Dime part 2 *Flowery Wall Art*

A new life for an old curtain!

More Canvas Art!

Fabric Covered Canvas

Happy Salami Day!

A time for a BBQ (and a recipe)

101 Goals in 1001 Days

Giveaway Winner!

A Thoughtful Surprise!

Home Decor on a Dime *Pretty Pleated Pillow!*

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy I got Chocolate in my Tummy!

Blog Swapping with Curly Q Crafts

Giveaway with CSN Stores (Basically just FREE money!)

Home Decor on a Dime part 2 Flowery Wall Art

Home Decor on a Dime Pretty Pleated Pillow!